San Leandro, CA Oakland, CA Pet’s and Insurance Claims

Your auto, homeowners, and/or renters insurance policy includes liability coverage for the limit that you buy at the time you purchase your policy. The basic limit is often $300,000, but you can purchase limits are higher If you like. Liability insurance protects you for situations where you cause bodily injury or property damage to another party.  A common example is when you are involved in a car accident and it’s your fault, your liability coverage which is part of your auto insurance policy for the repairs to the other party’s vehicle and for any injuries they may have.

So how does Liability Insurance work with Pets?  Well, when you own a pet such as a dog, and it bites someone, you may be liable for the injury and any costs that the injured party incurs.  One example that illustrates this very well happened to a co-worker.  His dog saw another dog that was not on a leash.  The dog ripped the leash from his hand and attacked the other dog.  When the other dog’s owner stepped in to intervene, my co-workers dog bit her and she fell to the ground.  My co-worker took the lady to the emergency room where she was treated for her injuries and her bite. 

While my co-worker hasn’t yet been served with a lawsuit, he is likely liable for her injuries and could need his policy to protect him if she in fact sues him.  It’s an unfortunate circumstance that is hard to predict as my co-worker’s dog is not an aggressive breed.  He’s very happy that he has liability coverage on his homeowner’s insurance policy and also has an Umbrella policy which adds even more coverage should this situation escalate.

We encourage you to call us today and find out more about Liability insurance  and how it protects you from circumstances like this one.